Today I am back with a new review, but this one is slightly different from my previous reviews, as I am covering a flower I have been wanting to write about since the very start of my career in cannabis journalism, and writing for Head Magazine:
I am finally getting the chance to bring to you what I think has to be one of the best flowers of all time – CBX’s Tropicanna flower.
This review also happens to mark the first of a new series in which I will be exclusively discussing Sativa strains – for any newcomers and those of you who know my reviews, I am usually always about the heavy Indica strains.
While Tropicanna has been on the market for some time, and has featured as one of the greatest hits of the Cannabiotix range for at least six years or more, it feels as though many smokers out there are still unfamiliar with the awesome power and beauty of this wonderful, delightful, possibly life-changing strain of marijuana.
As a cross breed between one of Cannabiotix’s staple flowers, Orange Crush, and SFV OG Phenotype #17, or San Fernando Valley OG, this in-house genetic is a Sativa dominant hybrid strain, running from 28 – 32%, right at the top end in terms of strength, which is a very difficult combination to find when it comes to finding reliable Sativa strains in the over-crowded commercial market.
As such, it was fittingly awarded by High Times for being one of the top ten best-tasting strains, and also for having one of the most unique terpene profiles.
For me, this has been a very special flower I have been having something of a love affair with since I first ever found some, around five years ago, one blisteringly hot day out in the Palm Springs desert.
It was the first ever CBX flower that I ever tried.
Although I had heard a bit here or there about the brand, I knew very little of what was available on the commercial market having just arrived in California, and Cannabiotix seemed to come from nowhere with this very exciting and different look and feel to both the brand and the strains they had, with interesting names and packaging for them.
The color schemes of the jar designs with their dark forest green lids and cream colored logos looked like they were transported in a time machine from the 70s, but the artwork on the jar itself had a very modern vibe, which featured a polygon-based art style at the same time which made for a fascinating juxtaposition when it came to the visual appearance of the branding. It seemed to really bring the experience you were going to have to life and for me it was love at first sight.
The first time you get to open a jar of Tropicanna, the aroma is unlike any other I have found from cannabis. It hits you in waves, with a deep funk of Cheddar cheese – an almost offensively powerful stench I might add – which dances around notes of pineapple and orange, with an uncanny richness to it that you can’t ever forget after you’ve taken it in.
I remember commenting at the time I tried it, upon just inhaling the aroma, and smoking some in a joint, you could feel the growers almost having a party when they were working on creating this flower. You feel a lot of love and warmth in these jars and that’s something I feel is missing from every other brand out there today.
Its appearance takes on shades of delicate lime green hues, with long but chunky finger-like buds, classic to the hallmarks of what good Sativa should look like, with a muscular nug structure, and gorgeous bright orange pistils shooting out of the buds.
In my fingers, it’s got a luxuriously waxy feel to it when I squeeze it or break it down with my hands, which represents all the layers of trichomes the flower is just saturated in.
As a Sativa dominant strain, it’s designed for the perfect wake-and-bake moment – I love nothing more than starting my the day by slicing some up with my scissors, stuffing it into a bong with a couple of ice cubes to cool the smoke, and then ingesting this ultimate day time strain.
Clouds of euphoria and energy like buzz, equal across the body and mind hit you straight away, with a joyous feeling which carries you on a cloud floating through the rest of your day.
This strain is designed to make you want to party.
It’s absolutely perfect due to its caffeine-like buzz and cerebral effects, for those kind of days where you show might up to a barbecue or pool party, and would like to enjoy a quick smoke but aren’t too sure of which direction a certain flower might push you in, and don’t want to become too introverted or paranoid, or completely munchied to the point of embarrassment, this strain has you absolutely covered.
It’s like smoking a ray of sunshine in a pipe, or a joint. It’s just an absolutely wonderful thing and I can’t get enough of it.
I could see it pairing excellently with an ice-cold beer, or nice cocktail of some variety.
It’s also important to note the incredibly powerful boost to creativity Tropicanna offers.
In my first experience using it after around a year or so, I found myself cleaning for six straight hours.
It brings incredible focus and, also, a great body high during the initial phase of smoking which wears off quickly into a cerebral vortex of focus and productivity which is long-lasting and can be fairly intense.
As an extremely powerful strain, perhaps one of the strongest Sativa varieties available on the market, I suggest this is best used at lower doses, more sparingly throughout the day.
I have found it to be an incredibly positive and uplifting flower which has fought off any depression I was experiencing.
To add to this, it’s a great way to increase one’s appetite if you smoke a little around an hour or so before eating a meal, and I find the best time in particular is when the sun is setting right before dinner.
This strain and flower showcase all the hallmarks of what my love for great weed is all about. From the ornate illustration of parakeets and tropical islands adorning the jar, through to the fragrance, the appearance of the flower, a fantastic job by the trimmers it’s worth noting, to the smoking experience itself, these are just top notch all the way through. It’s also very easy to find on the market and has been for a long time, although like all good cannabis you will find it is not particularly cheap.
What I find most interesting about Cannabiotix as a company, is their outstanding commitment to consistency, which I believe is the key to their success.
Time and time again, their flower remains easy to get hold of, the pricing generally stays around the same level, and the quality (mostly) never changes no matter where I buy it. You get the odd hiccup here and there as you would with any other product you might buy, but they are few and far between here.
It’s those several magic ingredients which have made Tropicanna a winner in the market.
This company really drills down into the details, they package the buds in jars over mylar bags, they seal the buds into the jar properly, and generally take more care to deliver a well crafted product which offers a better smoking and tasting experience as a result.
Another factor which is very important to note is the humidity, it is always perfectly in-tact when I receive it. It is rare that the end user has a chance to see the perfection and stunning beauty of the flower as it was supposed to be experienced, the artwork involved, and gets a chance to experience it fresh.
It is absolutely packed with oil, and coated in trichomes, and strikes the perfect balance between squishy and hard in my fingers when I compress it between my fingertips.
As a warning, do be careful with this strain, at the higher doses you may find things get more trippy and the effects will continue to increase in strength as you smoke – please make sure to leave a break between your bowl or joints and go eat something.
And obviously, make sure to stay well hydrated especially in these devilishly long hot summer days we’ve been having lately.
The after-effects, once the flower wears off, can be a little draining and “laggy” as I’d put it, so have a nice comfy chair and a soft drink and a good documentary, book or video game ready for later to help you land nicely. Or like me, you keep smoking it until you fall into a kind of odd pineapple-shaped K-hole, which is only for people like me, and best avoided.
As you can probably tell from the last statement, it’s not very suitable for using at night time, being both a cerebral and creative Sativa strain which keeps your mind working hard, but if you’re really inclined to do so like myself, my advice would be to take it easy and not smoke much of it as its power seems to increase and mutates, taking on a new character later at night.
You’ll be left with a very heavy feeling in the mind and body which is not altogether pleasant.
I personally found a couple of hits of my purple candy grape flavored Indica vape pen were the perfect way to offset the effects of the Tropicanna after using a little more than I probably should have that one day.
I could go on forever about this one and say much more, but I think it’s best for all of you reading this to go and try some for yourselves, and let us know what you think of it over on our Instagram page if you care to.
Life-changing is the way I want to describe this strain because it gave me so much in terms of my understanding, and deep passion for cannabis, but also helped me to discover a brand I’ve been writing about for the last three years, and helped to educate me in what a great flower should, and can be.
My next reviews will be covering some more classics from the CBX lineup, including their latest drop Super Mango Haze, another classic L’Orange, and two examples from their Heirbloom line, Durban Poison and Green Crack.
Be safe, happy toking, see you all soon!
Dr. StrainLove is a longtime lover of fine weed and is always hunting for the latest and greatest strains. His search has taken him from the Coffeeshops of Amsterdam to the boutique dispensaries of California, and lots of other places in between. He loves making music, playing video games, and using marijuana to ponder the mysteries of the universe. When he’s not doing those things, he enjoys spending time with his cat.
